Thoughts on ethics, society, politics, religion, philosophy, theology, and everything in between
One of the most influential moral and political ideas of the modern period has been the idea of human rights. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America declared, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain … Read more
If there is one thing people seem to agree upon in American society, it is that being inclusive and tolerant are good things, and being exclusive and intolerant are bad things. Labeling something inclusive and tolerant means that it is positive, healthy, and good, while labeling something as intolerant means that it is beyond the … Read more
Is it Wrong to Judge Others? A very common ethical claim made in contemporary American culture is that it is wrong to judge others or to be judgmental. Instead of judging others, we are told, we should be accepting of people doing whatever they sincerely believe is right. We should want other people to be … Read more
It is common for post-Enlightenment modern Westerners to portray reason and tradition as two opposing forces, with the essence of reason being a repudiation of tradition in favor of thinking for oneself. If someone believes something on the basis of the teaching of tradition, then, they are being unreasonable. But is this really the correct … Read more
In contemporary political debates, a phrase that frequently appears is the “separation of church and state.” Most often, people appeal to this phrase in an attempt to argue against certain religiously-grounded beliefs from having an influence on government policy. Since this has significant implications for some of the most important and controversial political issues of … Read more
America and Religious Pluralism The United States of America prides itself on being a religiously pluralistic society, both culturally and politically. Unlike many societies, there is no established state religion, and the U.S. Constitution legally guarantees people freedom of religion. This is supposed to guarantee a culture of religious pluralism, in which people adhering to … Read more
Two Contrasts The highly successful television series 24, which aired from 2001 to 2010, follows the exploits of Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer, as he repeatedly races against the clock to prevent major terrorist attacks against the United States of America that will occur within the next 24 hours. In addition to killing hundreds … Read more
When faced with the fact that there is no universal or self-evident morality, there are a number of ways in which some people will try to establish morality on a merely secular basis. I will argue that all these attempts fail to provide any sound basis for morality. In order to establish a sound basis … Read more
Contemporary Ethical Discourse Ethical discourse in our society is at a point of crisis. Gone are the days when, for example, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass engaged in a reasoned political debate for a full seven hours, and crowds stayed and listened for the whole time.[1]See Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age … Read more